South Dakota Causeway Repair Project Getting Under Way

Crews this week have started rebuilding a flood-damaged South Dakota causeway that connects Pierre to LaFromboise Island on the Missouri River.

Eric Stasch with the Army Corps of Engineers tells KCCR radio that cleanup work is the first step. He says broken concrete, trees and other debris need to be removed from the causeway that is a popular place for people to walk and fish.

The corps in March awarded the $2.6 million reconstruction contract to a company in Rapid City. Crews will reconstruct the 1,400-foot-long causeway, including replacing a 500-foot section washed away by floodwaters last summer. The work is expected to take about six months.

The city of Pierre will be responsible for installing water and electrical lines to four city water wells on the island.